Kevin Melvin has high hopes for a new interactive Lumbee history driving tour that helps visitors navigate some of the area's most historic sites, from the North Carolina Indian Cultural Center to the original site of UNC Pembroke.
The hour-long tour–which includes stops at the Lumbee River, Old Main and the Lumbee Tribe's headquarters––is a result of weeks of research by students in Professor Jaime Martinez's Intro to Public History class at UNCP.
"It turned out great!" said Melvin, the Lumbee Tribe's historic preservation officer. "When I first met with the class, we discussed creating a tour for prospective students and parents, which would give them a better understanding of the area and get to know the history."
Dr. Martinez stressed the importance of collaborating with the tribe and consulting with the local community throughout each project phase.
"I think it's important in terms of our role as an institution to work with and serve our community, which is why we started with community members giving us tours and telling our students what they thought was important and should be emphasized,” Martinez said.
The through line of the tour focuses on community, sovereignty and autonomy, according to Martinez. The story map begins at the river near Harper Ferry Church then stops at the cultural center, where there's an emphasis on how the local community created community and church associations and pushed for education. It circles back to Old Main––the oldest building on campus––and tells how the university has evolved.
A virtual tour version was created using StoryMapJS, a software tool that highlights the locations of a series of events. Students also designed pamphlets.
UNCP student and tribal member Unmai Arokiasamy said the project will educate visitors and local community members.
"We don't always know all the history behind our ancestral lands," Arokiasamy said. "This (map) can provide that relationship and cultural connection back to our history, which is exciting. I think this will change how people see our land and how we, as Lumbee people, see our land."
